Efforts to have Congress normalize hemp as an agricultural commodity took another landmark step forward on Wednesday, June 13, when the Senate Agriculture passed the massive farm bill by a 20-1 vote.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who introduced the bipartisan measure last April, says he expects a full Senate vote on the 2018 farm bill before the July 4th recess.

“After today’s important vote, Kentucky farmers are one step closer to having the opportunity to tap into the growing hemp market,” McConnell said in a press release. “By securing my hemp provision in the Farm Bill, we are building upon the successes of the hemp pilot programs and encouraging the great potential of this versatile crop.”

Earlier this month, Sen. McConnell said the Hemp Farming Act would legalize hemp as a agricultural commodity by removing hemp from the federal list of controlled substances.

“It also gives states the opportunity to become the primary regulators of hemp production, allows hemp researchers to apply for competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” he continued, “and makes hemp farmers eligible to apply for crop insurance.”